𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 - 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 - 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 2

Chapter 9

The next day, we had a game against Italy tonight. The team was woken up by Miss McKay so we could all go to our lesson.

"Now today, we'll all be writing poems and learning about poetry." Miss McKay smiled, everyone whined except Jules, Connie, and I.

The three of us squeaked while looking at each other from across the room, "Of course the chicks are excited." Dean scoffed.

"Now famous poets have a rhythm or a pattern," Miss McKay started writing a piece of poetry on the chalkboard. "This one is called Trees by Joyce Kilmer," She then finished writing, sat the chalk down and turned to us. "Anyone care to read?" She smiled.

Everyone was silent as we looked at each other, then I let out a huff, raising my hand. Miss McKay nodded, so I stood to see the board,

"I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree who's hungry mouth is pressed

Against the earth sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may and summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree."

The whole room was whispering, so I sat down slowly, Miss McKay smiled all while nodding her head, "I'm impressed," She paused and waited for everyone to stop talking. "You read poetry well, Vicki."

Smiling, "Thank you." I nodded my head.

"Now, what Vicki just read, has a rhythm in it. They are called stressed and unstressed syllables," Miss McKay used the chalk to underline the stressed syllables. "There are also lines that rhyme too, can anyone see them?" She crossed her arms.

Charlie raised his hand, "The first two lines and the last two lines. See and tree and me and tree." He pointed to the lines on the chalkboard.

"Very good Charlie!" Miss McKay smiled and wrote "A" next to the first two lines and "F" next to the last two lines at the end.

"Now why the heck are ya writing letters at the ends?" Dean scrunched his face.

"Well, Dean, very good question," Miss McKay started. "Any line that matches you use the same letter to, so see and tree are A and so on and so forth." She tapped the board with the chalk.

Jules raised her hand, "Day and pray rhyme."

Miss McKay then started writing down "C" on the board, "Pressed and breast rhyme." Banksie called out.

"Wear and hair," Guy called out. Miss McKay wrote down letters next to the matching lines.

Once every line was matched, Miss McKay applauded us, now since your masters at poetry analyzing, it's time for you to actually write poems of your own," We all then got out sheets of paper. "I'll give you a few minutes to write your poems, I'll be going around examining your pieces and answering questions."

Immediately, I started writing down some ideas before starting the first line.

The cold icy snow

Makes my face glow.

You always believe in me,

Because that is all you see.

As the puck glides,